WASHINGTON, DC/8/9/05The 2005 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by first lady Laura Bush, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine). The festival is free and open to the public.

The fifth annual National Book Festival will feature more than 80 award-winning authors, illustrators, and poets who will appear on the Mall to talk about and sign their books.

A variety of book categories will be represented, including mysteries, thrillers, history and biography, science fiction and fantasy, childrens books, teen books, poetry, home and family and more.

The Library of Congress will have a pavilion of its own where festival goers can explore the Library's acclaimed Web site at www.loc.gov and also hear about the Veterans History Project, a grassroots effort to document the stories of veterans from World War I through the current conflicts and those who supported the war effort on the home front. A Pavilion of the States will include representatives from throughout the country with information on local reading and literacy programs.

The Smithsonian metro stop will bring visitors directly onto the festival grounds, where they can spend the day listening to and meeting with favorite authors and picking up the free festival poster by the famous children's illustrator, Jerry Pinkney.